Hood catch



Nov. 1, 1927. 1,647,422

w. R. WILEY HOOD CATCH Filed April 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MMa.

A TTORNE Y. Y

Nov. 1, 1927. 1,47,422

W. R. WILEY I HOOD CATCH Filed April 5, 1926. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vINII'ENTOR. M 6! 39.1.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED A STATES 'WILIJIAFE It. WILEY, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

HOOD CATCH.

Application filed April 5, 1926. Serial No. 99,690.

This invention relates to a hood catch for motor vehicles, and has forits object an improved organization of parts by the use of which theentire side of a radiator hood may be locked in position, and unlocked,by a single lever action, instead of reliance being placed upon at leasttwo spring catches for each side, one at the forward end of the hoodpanel and the other near the rear edge. Not

only are these latter objectionable because each must be actuatedseparately, but in ad- .dition most of them involve in one form oranother the use of an helical or compression spring, which easily getsout of order, and results in a rattling of the metal parts, even whensupposedly each latch is fully in place.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a motor vehicle hood with one of its panelsequipped with one of my devices, those portions of the mechanism locatedinteriorly of the hood being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my improved device taken from above, the hoodwall being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a perspective of the actuating lever in practically fullsize.

' Figure 4 is a vertical elevational view taken lengthwise of thevehicle and of the plane of the hood wall, which is shown in section;this view is taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 6 and looking in thedirection of the arrows there shown.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the engagement of the bent-over endof the locking shaft with the anchorage bracket.

Figure 6 is a practically full sized elevational view taken from a pointinteriorly of the hood, so as to bring out the positioning and functionof the parts shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, as located on the innerface of the hood wall.

12 indicates a vehicle hood, with its wings or panels hinged as usualalong the line 13 at the central portion of the top, over the engineportion. Each panel or wing carries near its lower edge, and aboutmidway between its front and rear edges, a bracket 14,

through whose perforated ears 15 a pintle 16 may extend for the pivotalsupporting of the central portion of the lever. 17, which extendsthrough anaperture 18 in the hood wall, and'is capable of a verticalswing of approximately 90. The inner end of the lever 17 is bifurcated,as at 19, for slidable siliency,

only take place been brought to engagement about the center portion ofthe U-shaped bend 21 in the bar or shaft 20, which is of a relativelyhigh degree of reand which is rotatably supported close to the innerface of the hood wall 12 by journaling brackets 22, in a positionperpendicular to the vertical plane through which the lever 17 mayswing. The axis of rotatability of the end portions of the shaft is thusfixed by the brackets 22, and the U-shaped central portion swingsthrough an arc of which the axis of the shaft 20 is the center. This isbrought out graphically in Figure 4, wherein the dotted-in are 6represents the path of swing of the U-sha ed part 21 relatively to theaxis of the shaft 20, of which it is the integrally central part. Thepath of swing of the inner socket 26 on the lever 17, about the pintle16 as a center, is shown by the dotted-in are a, whose middle portion isvery obviously closer to the axis of the shaft 20 than either extremeis. The swing of the U-shaped part 21, as actuated by the movement ofthe lever 17 can thus because of its slidability within the bifurcatedend 19 of the lever 17. When an intermediate or the extreme lower orunlocked position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 has been attained,the U-shaped portion 21 lies quite appreciably away from the innersocket 26, on the principle'of the well-known Geneva escapement in awatch mechanism, whereas when the lever 17 has the full locking positionshown in full lines in Figure 4, the U-shaped portion has not onlysettled fully within the inner socket 26, but to attain this position vhas had to be resiliently snapped over the edge of the lip 23, pastwhich it cannot ride until the lever 17 is again moved well toward itsunlocking position. Except for the restraint of the overengaging sharplip 23, there would be a very decided tendency of these parts to turn,but the U-shaped part 21 being sprung thereover, silieny of the shaft20, this cannot take place except when the lever 17 is positively andintentionally actuated.

The end portions of the shaft 20 are bent thanks to the re- 1 to theform shown at 24 in Figure 6, and

being positioned adjacent the front and rear edge of the hood panel, areadapted, as the shaft is rocked, to swing over and into engagement withthe overengaginglip or edge 25 of the correspondingly positioned fixedbracket, which is suitably supported at the proper height from thevehicle frame. The relative position of each bent terminal projection 24and of its anchorage bracket 25 is brought out clearly in elevationalFigures 4, 5 and 6. The movement of the bent terminal projection alongthe bracket surface 25 is, however, such a wiping one, due to therelative position of the bracket, that the shafts end is sprungdownwardly and inwardly somewhat from the axial line of those portionsof it which are journaled in the brackets 22; thus the resiliency of therod 20 is made use of to insure a firm engagement of the anchoragebrackets 25 by its bent-over end portions to a degree suc that, if thereare relatively slight variations in the height of the bracket 25 asinstalled, the firmness of the locking action will not be impaired. Theswinging of the single central handle 17 appurtenant to each wall panelthus effects the locking of both ends of the panel at a singleoperation, and the holding of the U-shaped portion 21 of the shaft bythe over-engaging lip 25 both serves to efiectively hold the hood and toprevent the lever 17 from possible rattling as well as unintendedmovement.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a hood wall provided with journaling brackets, ashaft rotatably carried in said brackets, said shaft being terminallyand intermediately bent, a lever pivoted upon and extending through theshell of the hood in position for its bifurcated inner end tooperatively engage the intermediately bent portion of said shaft,thereby effecting the rotative movement of the shaft, means carried bythe bifurcated end of the lever for lockingly engaging over the adjacentbent portion of the shaft when the lever is in holding position, wherebytheir disengagement is rendered only under positive manual actuation ofthe lever, and catch elements fixedly positioned upon the vehicle framefor engagement by the terminally bent portions of said shaft when thelatter is rotatively actuated by manually induced swing of'said lever.

2. The combination, with an apertured hood wall, of a pivoted leverhaving a bi furcated and eccentrically recessedinner end portionextending therethrough, a plurality of journaling brackets spacedlypositioned on the inner face of said hood wall, a plurally deformedshaft rotatably supported in said brackets in position for its centrallydeformed portion to be operatively engaged by the bifurcated end ofsaid-lever and to be lockingly engaged by the eccentrically recessedportion thereof when the lever has been manually actuated to lockingposition, and anchorage stops located upon portions of the vehicle frameadjacent the terminally deformed portions of said shaft, with whichpossible the latter are adapted to be interlocked by actuated, and anactuating lever therefor positioned to swing in a plane transverse tothe axis of said shaft, that end of said lever adjacent said shaft beingbifurcated and operatively engaging the deformed central portion thereofwhen its outer end is manually actuated, and having a recessed portionbetween its bifurcations into which the engaged portion of the shaft isadapted to lockingly settle when the lever has been moved to the limitof its possible swing.

4. In combination with a lever pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, oneend of said lever being bifurcated and also provided with .a lockingrecess flanked by the bifurcated portions, a plurally deformed shaftrotatably supported perpendicularly to the plane of possible swing ofsaid lever, its centrally deformed portion bein adapted to beoperatively engaged by the bifurcated portion thereof and to lodge insaid locking recess at the end of said levers manually actuated lockingmovement, and anchorage brackets positioned complementarily to theterminally deformed portions of said shaft, with which the latter areadapted to lockingly engage when the lever-induced rotative movement ofsaid shaft has been completed.

5. A hood catch, having, in combination with an apertured hood wall, ashaft member rotatably journaledon the inner face thereof, said shaftbeing deformed laterally from its general axis at a plurality of points,anchorage stops positioned on the frame of the vehicle complementarilyto the terminally deformed portions of said shaft and adapted to belockingly engaged thereby when the shaft is rotatively actuated, and apivoted lever having a bifurcated inner end extending through theaperture in the hood wall and operatively engaging the centrallydeformed portion of said shaft, whereby the latter may be rotativelyactuated and held in locked position by the attainment by said lever ofswing.

6. A hood catch, having in combination with a pair of anchorage stopssupported from the vehicle frame, a plurally deformed shaft rotatablyjournaled on the inner side of the hood wall, its terminally deformedend portions being adapted to lockingly engage said anchorage stops whenthe shaft is rotatably actuated, and a manually operthe limit of itsmanually actuated able lever pivotally supported in operative relationto the centrally deformed portion of said shaft, whereby the latter maybe rotatably actuated, and whereby it is automatically locked inposition upon the attainment by said lever of the limit of its operativeswing.

7. A hood catch, having, in combination with axially aligned bearingmembers supported on the inner face of a hood wall, a plurally deformedshaft member rotatably supported thereby, anchorage stops supported uponportions of the vehicle frame adjacent the terminally deformed portionsof said shaft member and adapted to be operatively engaged by them whenthe shaft is rotatively actuated, and an operating lever pivotallsupported by the hood wall ad- ]acent tie central deformed portion ofsaid 20 shaft member, whereby the rotative movement thereof in itsbearings may be effected.

8. In combination with a resilient shaft member provided with centraland terminal deformations from its general axis, a pivoted leverprovided with a terminal bifurcatlon whereby a constant slidableengagement with the central deformation in the shaft is affordedregardless of the operative position of either member, means forrotatably supporting said shaft on a hood wall in opera: tive relationto said 'lever, and anchorage members supported in positions laterallyadjacent the terminal deformations in the shaft and adapted to beoperatively engaged there by upon the lever-induced rotation of saidshaft.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

WILLIAM R. WILEY.

